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Face-Off Classic Hosts Charm City Clash Between UVa & Johns Hopkins
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March 20, 2013
| Virginia vs. Johns Hopkins • Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic |
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| Date/Time | Sat., March 23, 2013 | 4:30 p.m. |
| Location | Baltimore, Md. | M&T Bank Stadium (71,008) |
| Television | ESPNU in HD | ESPN3 |
| Radio | WINA 1070 AM |
| Multimedia | Gametracker | Cavaliers Live (Subscription Audio Stream) |
| @UVaMensLacrosse | |
| Game Notes | Full Virginia Game Notes  |
| Additional Information | Tickets | Facebook | 2013 Fact Book | |
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia Cavaliers (5-3) are ranked No. 14 this week in the USILA coaches poll and No. 13 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll and will travel to Baltimore for the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic and a date with the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (5-2), who are No. 10 in the coaches poll and No. 11 in the media poll. The two teams will battle for the Doyle Smith Cup. For the eighth time in the series history, the cup will be awarded to the regular season winner of the UVa – Johns Hopkins game. UVa won the Doyle Smith Cup the first five seasons before losing it at Homewood Field in 2011 and Johns Hopkins held onto the cup in 2012 after an overtime win in Charlottesville. Faceoff is set for 4:30 p.m. inside M&T Bank Stadium. Live stats will be available on VirginiaSports.com.
There will be a live radio broadcast in the Charlottesville area on WINA 1070 AM, which will be simulcast as an audio webcast for a subscription cost on VirginiaSports.com through Cavaliers Live. John Freeman will bring the play-by-play and Doug Tarring will provide the game analysis. ESPNU will televise the game live in HD with Eamon McAnaney bringing the play-by-play and Paul Carcaterra providing color analysis. There will be a web simulcast on ESPN3.
The game is the eighth annual battle for the Doyle Smith Cup, a spoil since 2006 that goes to the regular season winner in the series. Virginia and Johns Hopkins joined together to honor E. Doyle Smith, Jr., for his lifetime of contributions to the lacrosse programs at both schools and on the national level with the annual regular season winner laying claim to the cup. Smith served as team manager and statistician for Johns Hopkins under coach Bob Scott from 1963-68.
Smith enrolled at UVa to pursue a doctorate in the fall of 1968, and became the University’s first full-time assistant sports information director, a position he held for 31 years until his retirement in 1999, serving as the lacrosse team’s publicist for four head coaches: Buddy Beardmore, Glenn Thiel, Jim Adams and Dom Starsia. In 2000, he was elected to the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame and is the only individual inducted who never played the game at some level.
Saturday marks the 67th straight season the Cavaliers and the Blue Jays have clashed in an all-time series that began in 1904. Johns Hopkins holds the all-time advantage with a 56-28-1 mark, however Virginia has won six of the last eight meetings, including a streak of six in a row before dropping the last two matchups. Virginia’s 85 all-time games against the Blue Jays are the second most games the Cavaliers have played against any opponent in their history. UVa has faced Maryland 88 times.
Nick O’Reilly leads UVa with 16 assists and 30 points, while Mark Cockerton is No. 3 in the nation with 23 goals. Matt White and Rob Emery round out UVa’s top goal scorers with 15 and 13, respectively. Scott McWilliams is No. 1 in the nation with 24 caused turnovers and has 29 ground balls. UVa has two options in goal with Rhody Heller and Dan Marino. Heller, who started on Saturday against Ohio State, is saving 48.7 percent of shots against him and has a 10.94 goals against average. Marino has posted a 9.12 goals against average and has saved 45.0 percent of shots in between the pipes.
JHU head coach Dave Pietramala is in his 13th season with the Blue Jays, who return 29 letterwinners and eight starters off his 2012 squad that went 12-4 and appeared in the NCAA quarterfinal round. Well Stanwick, the younger brother of former UVa All-American Steele Stanwick, leads Johns Hopkins with 12 assists and 27 points. Brandon Benn leads the Blue Jays with 19 goals. Mike Poppleton has won 71.1 percent (96-of-135) of his faceoffs. Pierce Bassett has started six of Johns Hopkins’ seven games inside the pipes and has a 8.37 goals against average. He has also saved 56.9 percent of shots against him.
Virginia returns home on March 30 to open ACC play against No. 1 Maryland. Faceoff against the Terrapins is set for 2 p.m. and will be televised live on ESPNU in HD.